In one of our projects, we are converting an existing Thick Client Application (Swing Based) to a thin client solution using Spring MVC, JQuery and Websphere application Server. As a part of this conversion we plan to convert all existing functionalities AS IS using the new technology stack.
One of the existing functionalities has dependencies with the user’s desktop environment. Below points detail out the overall functionality of this feature:
- User can download an excel template workbook from the server along with a xml file containing data from the database.
- This excel file has pre-defined macros’ in it
- On open event of this excel, it reads the data XML file and populates the data into the Excel workbook
- The user can edit/modify the contents
- On Save or Close event of this workbook, the predefined macros convert the data from the Excel workbook into another output XML file which gets stored in a pre-defined location on the users desktop. On creation of this output XML file, a notification is sent to one of the ports on the desktop m/c.
- Another client side program
unit keeps listening to this port and on notification reads & transmits this XML file to the server for updating the database
Problem:-
As a part of this conversion to thin client architecture, we want to achieve the same functionality AS IS
- Considering the various aspects and constraints in a web based environment, we are trying to seek for a possible or alternate solution towards this problem.
- We would like to have the new solution considering following aspects:
o Zero/minimalist changes to the users usability
pattern that he is used to with the existing thick client solution
o Any potential security issues
Any suggestion/solution towards this problem will be of great help.
Thanks In Advance....